Of Magic and Fairy Tales
by Yuki-Onna1
Summary: This is just another fairy tale story. A mermaid princess gets kidnapped by a magician, her fairy not-quite girlfriend goes to save the princess, and a bunch of people tag along for the ride. Yep, just another fairy tale story. Collab with kaffinee.
1. A Mermaid Meets a Fairy

And here we have a collab between me and kaffinee just because.

Kaffinee and I don't own Love Live.

* * *

A Mermaid Meets a Fairy

A cerulean blue sky was the first thing Sonoda Umi saw when she popped her head out of the ocean-blue water, her tail skimming the surface. She could the heat of the sun on her face, gradually drying it. The mermaid looked around at the unacquainted landscape in awe, then ducked her head back into the water and continued swimming to explore her new discovery.

' _Wow!'_ Umi thought, a smile spreading across her slender face as she gracefully sped through the water. _'I'm so glad I decided to come up to the surface! The land is gorgeous!'_

Before this day, Umi had always been advised (more like forced) to remain in the safety of the ocean. Similar warnings had been embedded into all of Umi's siblings' minds. How many siblings does she have, you ask? Well, mermaids are one of few mammals that lay eggs, and lots of eggs at that. So really, Umi has hundreds of siblings. It's a wonder the king and queen could remember all their names.

Flicking her tail slightly, she lifted her head out of the water and gazed at the abundant amount of trees situated on the land as far as she could see. The leaves were a luscious deep green, the wood a rich brown. They were clearly taken care of healthily with extreme delicacy. Flowers bloomed colorfully along the emerald grass and bushes and Umi could smell their wonderful scent drifting on the light breeze.

Umi's breath caught in her throat. The ocean depths never had a place as beautiful as this, the closest being the coral forests that could be found in any color. She swam closer to shore, noticing a small figure playing in a field of flowers far away. The figure then ran towards the ocean, chimes of laughter resonating from them as a small bird twittered and perched on their slim index finger, which they-no, she, held up daintily. As the unknown person drew closer in Umi's field of vision, the mermaid analyzed the young woman expertly, taking note of her features.

The smiling stranger had long, brownish-gray hair. A golden flower crown rested in her hair, and a similar ring was slipped onto her slim fingers. Delicate wings sprouted from her back, as she ran, her bare feet padded alongside the expression was set in a happy grin as her golden eyes shone. She wore a colorful bandeau covering her breasts. It led to her frilly skirt, which was a mixture of green, red, purple and white, and reached her thighs.

' _A fairy.'_ Umi's heart thumped in her chest as she realized what the stranger was. Never had she seen one in person before. There were plenty of illustrations on the stone tablets back home, but seeing a fairy in real life was a whole new experience. Umi bit back a gasp, panic rising up as the fairy stopped short, finally taking notice of the mermaid staring at her.

* * *

The bird on the fairy known as Kotori's finger chirped softly in confusion as Kotori regarded the mermaid, lips slightly parted in surprise. A short while passed before the bird decided to spread its wings and flew away into the woods. Kotori barely took notice, too busy with observing the mermaid.

The mermaid's blackish-blue hair reached her waist, and amber eyes stared back at Kotori. Gills lined the mermaid's neck and shiny gold and blue pearls shone lightly as they rested in her hair. Her ears and hands were finned. The mermaid wore deep periwinkle shells that covered her breasts, and when she flicked her beautiful, shimmering light blue tail, droplets of water were flung into the air and sparkled blindingly as the sunlight hit them.

Kotori gave a look of awe. Mermaids weren't uncommon in large bodies of water. Nevertheless, the fairy had yet to see one in the flesh…until one decided to show up unexpectedly near her.

Kotori was busy admiring the beauty of the mermaid tail until she was suddenly sprayed with a hefty amount of salt water. "What the—" the gray-haired fairy sputtered in surprise. The water soaked into her clothes, hair, and wings, leaving them damp and heavy.

The mermaid's cheeks were quickly a bright red. "I-I'm sorry!" she cried out frantically, following up the apology by apologizing profusely even more and simultaneously covering her face with her hands, "I didn't mean to do that—sorry—it wasn't on p-purpose!"

Kotori stared at the amber-eyed girl for a second before letting out a small laugh. Then, without notice, and with appallingly speed, a wave of water hit the mermaid. While the attack didn't affect the mermaid as much as it had Kotori, it still left her stunned.

"Oops." Kotori giggled innocently with a small and devious smirk.

The mermaid's eyes widened a fraction before narrowing, immediately taking vengeance. Before long, an all-out water war was raging. Both girls were having hard times breathing at the end of it, giggling helplessly. Kotori was noticeably drenched, her wings so heavy from the absorbed water and salt that they no longer looked like what they were previously. Kotori ignored the sensation, completely focused on her new friend.

"That was fun; may I come back tomorrow?" Umi requested with a bright smile, all signs of awkwardness having vanished. Water droplets decorated her skin everywhere, which somehow made her look even prettier to Kotori.

"Of course! I'll be hanging around here. My name is Kotori, by the way."

"Umi," said girl responded simply, "I'll be going now, the sun is coming down. My parents are quite likely to be displeased due to my extensive absence from the kingdom." The mermaid laughed nervously, running a hand through her hair.

"Wow, we really spent a long time playing! See you tomorrow, Umi."

For some reason, Umi's cheeks flushed pink. "B-bye!" with that hasty farewell, she ducked into the water, the only sign of her presence being small waves growing farther and farther away as she departed.

Still smiling, Kotori sat on a rock, watching the sunset and fluttering her wings to dry them faster. "I just made my first friend in a long time…"

* * *

Mermaid Umi and Fairy Kotori were used as references.


	2. Kidnappings and Rescue Plans

Collab with kaffinee.

kaffinee: There.

Sleygal: You wrote that a few hours after the story was published. Please be patient.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Kidnappings and Rescue Plans

"Tsubasa, hi!" Honoka greeted as she opened the door to her bedchamber.

"Hello, Honoka." The noble kissed Honoka lightly before stepping into the grand bedroom, a tiny smile adorning her face. Her short, brunette hair fell to her shoulders. She wore a simple, short emerald dress that matched her eyes. Small, gold hoop earrings hung on the lobes of her pointed ears, and a ring decorated with a small, intricate clover rested on her left hand.

Tsubasa gave a small wave to the younger girl sitting on a beige sofa, walking over and resting next to her. "Greetings, Yukiho. Thank you both for inviting me today."

"It's our pleasure! Besides, you come over all the time!" Honoka responded happily. She wore a cute, orange frilly dress that reached down to her knees. An amber teardrop necklace, a gift from Tsubasa, hung around her neck. There was also a ring on her left hand, this one decorated with a beautiful feathered wing.

Yukiho nodded in agreement. "It's wonderful that you two have fallen in love. It makes Mother and Father incredibly pleased that neither of you have ever resisted the arranged marriage."

"Of course we're close," Tsubasa replied, "I've known Honoka since birth. We've always been good friends, and our bond strengthened as a result of our engagement."

"Also," Honoka piped in, "Mom and Dad are happy that I'll be married to such an influential elf and noble."

Tsubasa laughed softly. "I am honored to be marrying the woman next in line for the throne."

The elder princess suddenly jumped up. "Shall I get you a drink, Tsubasa?"

"Jasmine tea is fine," Tsubasa answered with a smile and a slight blush.

"Thanks for asking," Yukiho rolled her eyes, exasperated by the lovey-dovey atmosphere. "But I'm not thirsty."

"Alright!" Honoka nodded and strode purposefully into the luxurious and clean kitchen, grabbing a porcelain teacup as the other two ladies continued to converse amicably in her room. She began brewing the tea with delicacy, pouring in just the right amount of water and tea leaves that Tsubasa preferred. When it was hot and ready, she filled the cup, not bothering to place it on a matching saucer, and headed back to her bedroom.

All of a sudden, the woman heard high-pitched screaming coming from behind the bedroom door. Her heart must have skipped a beat, and she gulped nervously, her throat suddenly feeling dry. She hurried to her room, tea spilling over the sides of the cup as it bounced, clutched in her hand. Honoka flung the door open, abruptly stopping short at the spectacle in front of her. The teacup plummeted from her hand, crashing onto the marble floor and shattering into shards of porcelain, and spilling its contents everywhere.

An individual, whose face was hidden by the shadow of their eerie black robe's hood, had one hand gripping an elegant, well-designed staff. Yukiho and Tsubasa were suspended helplessly in a golden orb. The two girls thrashed and struggled, crying out in despair. The magician turned, having heard the sound of the teacup crashing onto the floor, and noticed Honoka. The princess made out a wide smirk under the cover of the hood as her eyes raked over the figure of the enigmatic person.

"What are you doing?!" Honoka leaped over the shards of the wrecked cup and precipitously sprinted towards the mysterious person, feet pounding against the marble floor. Her face was contorted into a furious glare, her hands reaching out to the golden orb holding Yukiho and Tsubasa captive. "Don't you _dare_ take them away from me!" She screamed. If she could just get them out before something happened…!

The cloaked magician, looking completely unconcerned at Honoka's threat, smirked and waved at her. "Ta-ta." The magician, a male by the pitch of their voice, swung his staff. With a flash of blinding light, the trio vanished, leaving Honoka alone in her vast, now empty bedroom.

"Oof!" Still running, Honoka slammed into the side of her bed, unable to stop herself. Falling limply to the floor, she collapsed and lay on her stomach. Her hair now looked like a bird's nest from the collision. She stared blankly at the floor, tears burning at the edge of her vision. Her nails dug into her hands as they clenched tightly, threatening to break through the skin. She could still hear Yukiho and Tsubasa's screams ringing in her ears as they were taken away.

"Yukiho…Tsubasa…" Slowly, she got up in determination, fire blazing in her bright blue eyes. "I'll definitely come save you!"

She threw off her dress and changed into a loose fitting orange shirt over a lacy white undershirt. Next she pulled on a short, frilly white skirt, along with red and orange stockings and combat boots. Finally, she donned the matching navy cape and hat, and tied her hair up into a ponytail. She then snuck into the armory on the lower levels of the castle after leaving a hastily written note to her parents, explaining what had happened and what she was going to do, as well as a plea to not search for her. Grabbing a broadsword that will only cut whatever the wielder wishes to cut and a shield said to be able to repel magic, she equipped the enchanted items. Once she was prepped with food and medical supplies, she hopped out the nearby window, away from the eyes of her parents and guards, and left her home.

* * *

Walking along the stone path with her enchanted sword hanging on her sword belt, Honoka thought about her destination.

The daring princess-turned-swordswoman was planning on going to the Rice Meadows, a place that may have the information she needs, due to the gossip-loving kitsunes residing there. Additionally, the Meadows were located in the center of the country of Otonokizaka, so it was the ideal starting point, even if there was a situation where she suddenly had to travel somewhere else.

It was nighttime however, so Honoka had no choice but to stop for the night to keep herself from losing her way. She set up a campfire and slept fitfully, snapping awake at every strange noise that sounded in the dark. As soon as the sky was light enough for Honoka to see again, she immediately continued on her way, wanting to get her sister and lover back as soon as possible.

It was midday by the time Honoka arrived at the entrance to the Rice Meadows. Dewy _Oryza sativa_ were planted throughout the open field, miles wide, and Honoka could see foxlike creatures scattered throughout the field, bending down and tending to the crops. She walked slowly through the dirt path in the center that bisected the noisy field, gazing around at the hardworking kitsunes.

"BOO!"

"AAAHHHH!" Unexpectedly startled from behind, she stumbled and crashed onto the ground.

The kitsune enter her line of sight, grinning devilishly. _'Classic prank, but it works.'_

Honoka stood up groggily from her stumble to the ground, peering at the foxy creature watching her. "…Eh?"

"Welcome, nya!"

"H-hi," Honoka said uncertainly.

"I'm Rin," the kitsune introduced. Her short orange hair, part of it tied up into a side ponytail, bounced as she moved around. Cat ears the same color as her hair sprouted out from the top of her head. She wore a multicolored scarf and a sleeveless shirt designed for easy mobility. White sleeves that covered part of her arms connected to her fingerless gloves. Nine fluffy, orange tails waved around from behind her. Her vertically slit eyes watched the other girl carefully, despite her carefree demeanor. "Follow me, nya!"

Taking the swordswoman's hand, Rin ran off with astonishing speed, Honoka stumbling along behind her and trying not to get whacked by the tails. When they stopped, the two were standing in front of a brown haired girl. She wore a long white dress, and the translucent strips of fabric that floated around her enhanced the ethereal image. On her arms and around her neck she wore leaves and berries. Atop her head rested a wreath of leaves.

"Rin-chan, who's this?" She asked softly. Honoka's breath caught in her throat, and she coughed a bit.

"My name is Honoka, pleased to make your acquaintance," Honoka answered for Rin respectfully, a gleam of sweat polishing her forehead from the swift run. "And you?"

"This is Kayo-chin!" Rin answered energetically for said woman. "She's the cutest rice goddess out there!"

"Thank you, Rin-chan…but I'm the only rice goddess out there." The goddess sweatdropped, but blushed lightly at the compliment. "Call me Hanayo, if you would."

Honoka nodded as Rin said, "I'm a kitsune, and I help Kayo-chin, along with the other kitsunes, tend to the rice plants!" Then she added, "Sorry about the scare, by the way. The kitsunes get bored often, so we like to prank each other—and visitors too, nya!"

"…Rin-chan, what did you do?" The kitsune pretended not to hear her and gave no explanation. Hanayo sighed, but continued: "Anyway, what is the reason for your presence in the Rice Meadows, Honoka-san?"

The princess quickly explained her situation: "My younger sister and fiancée got kidnapped by a mysteriously cloaked magician, presumed to be male. He was able to use teleportation magic with his magical staff. Do you have any idea who he is, and how I can get my loved ones back?"

Without a word, Hanayo nodded at Rin. The kitsune stuck her fingers in her mouth and blew loudly. The whistle sounded throughout the field, echoing against the mountains in the distance. Within a matter of minutes, dozens, maybe hundreds, of kitsunes assembled around the trio, murmuring to each other in confusion.

"Everyone—" Hanayo's voice was quiet, yet the chatter ceased immediately into an orderly silence—"have any of you heard of a magician kidnapping innocent beings lately?"

Many shook their heads, but one of the kitsunes called out, "Not precisely, but there _has_ been discussions of strange activity stirring throughout the country. Some of the spirits are agitated." The statement was quickly followed by a few "n-ya"s. "However, nobody is able to distinguish whom the cause of this disruption is."

Hanayo nodded slowly, dismissing them. The cluster of kitsunes dispersed, returning to their duties and leaving Honoka, Rin, and Hanayo in their lonesome.

"That wasn't much," Honoka said in slight disappointment. How was she going to find Yukiho and Tsubasa now?

"It makes sense, though. Magicians have the tendency to stay hidden." Hanayo paused, and then said, "I have an idea." A lightbulb formed above the goddess's head as she continued on excitedly, "We should head to Dragon Hills. Many dragons hoard things, such as gold. They also have spectacular hearing and can pick up conversations from far away, and thus fly out frequently to eavesdrop on creatures gossiping down on land.

"Additionally, I personally know a dragon that hoards information, so I suggest we look for her."

Honoka nodded as she processed the information, and then stopped abruptly. "We?" she questioned, unsure if she heard correctly.

"Yes!" Hanayo replied, and reasoned, "I know where the dragon lives, and as a divine being, it is my duty to keep this country peaceful!"

"Then I'll go, too!" Rin jumped in, determined to tag along. "I have to keep Kayo-chin safe!" she said, taking Hanayo's hand protectively. Hanayo blushed heavily and squeezed Rin's hand in response, nodding in acceptance. The kitsune's tails waved back and forth happily.

"Alright," Honoka said, amused by the couple's antics. "Hanayo-san, please take the lead. You're the one who knows the way to Dragon Hills."

Rin and Hanayo quickly called the kitsunes together again, saying farewell and telling them to take care of the rice plants. Many of them wailed, having never been without their goddess and leader at the same time before. It took some time before they managed to calm down. However, Hanayo assured them that they'll be fine, and waved goodbye, smiling supportively.

With that, the trio ventured out on the road to the land of the dragons.

* * *

Honoka's first outfit is her unidolized June bride card, while her second outfit was meant to resemble her idolized Magician card.

Hanayo's outfit is her Rice Goddess event outfit.

Rin's outfit is the kunoichi outfit.


	3. Truce between Former Enemies

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Truce between Former Enemies

"Cotaro, Cocoro, Cocoa!" A devil called out, her long black hair fixed in wavy pigtails.

She wore a hot pink top that exposed her stomach and a red flowery short skirt, all lined with black lace. Pink gloves covered the lower half of her arms, and a black choker adorned her neck. Her fangs peeked out from under her upper lip. Across her back slung the standard weapon for devils, a long black trident, topped with a blood red color. At the place above her forehead rested a pair of black, pointy horns, just large enough to show that she was barely of age. Her spade-tipped tail dangled from under her skirt. Black, leathery wings that were longer than she was tall rested under the trident, shifting occasionally to relieve the pressure of the weapon.

"What?" Three devil kids replied in unity, running up to their elder sister. At first glance, they seemed to be identical, but there were key differences that their family unit can pick out easily. Cotaro being male, for example.

"I'm going grocery shopping!" The elder devil knelt down and ruffled each of her siblings' hair.

The quartet of devils lived alone, so the older devil had to act as a mother, even when she was quite young compared to most creatures that inhabited the pits of Hell. Or, as others call it, Devil Rocks.

"Okay, onee-san!"

"Stay safe! And remember to always…" the oldest sibling put her hands above her head, forming them into her signature hand pose, and hopped from side to side. "Nico-Nico-Nii!"

"Nico-Nico-Nii!" the three younger devils chanted happily, imitating Nico.

Nico smiled tenderly at them, affection warming her heart. "Bye!" she said, and left the house with a pastel pink purse dangling from her shoulder.

* * *

Not thirty minutes after Nico left, a bright white light flashed, and a grown man stepped into the kitchen of the small condominium, where the young devil siblings were playing.

Immediately, the man had to cover his ears with his hands as the sounds of kitchen pots and pans clanging and clashing together blasted into his eardrums. Faintly dizzy, he stumbled a bit, looking up at the source of the noise. Three kids were standing on the kitchen counter, messing around with the kitchen equipment without a care in the world. One looked up and screeched at the sight of the strange man in their home, prompting the others to do the same.

The man staggered and drew his staff, but was interrupted from any further action when a pot smashed into his hand, courtesy of a small boy with snot dripping down his nose. The intruder yelped in pain and released his staff. It dropped to the floor, and the magician hastily picked it up before the children could do something to it. He then turned towards Cotaro, bellowing in fury, and began waving his staff in the air.

"No!" Cocoro and Cocoa screamed. The two girls launched themselves towards the other two, grabbing onto their younger brother protectively. They tried tugging their brother away, but to no avail.

The magician growled in annoyance. "I only need one of you pesky brats!"

Nonetheless, he had to finish his spell before it backfired on him, and chanted hastily. Soon, the quartet vanished in a flash, three of them still screaming their heads off in fear.

* * *

"I'm home!" Nico announced, kicking open the door with a heeled shoe and strutting into the condo with her arms full of grocery bags.

When nobody responded, she was immediately filled with dread. Her siblings have always answered her before, so what could have happened this time? _'Perhaps they're sleeping?'_ she thought hopefully. Even so, Nico dropped her bags and ran around the house. No devil children in sight. When she entered the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks. Pots and pans were strewn around everywhere, and she got to work, fixing and organizing them neatly and precisely to tidy perfection as she inspected the kitchen.

When Nico finished, there was only one palpable reason in her mind as to where her siblings went, and, evidently, who captured them. So there she went, intending on getting them back.

* * *

Nico flew up a flight of stairs located not far from her home. At first, the steps were jet black. They slowly shifted into green, and then lastly faded into white. The stairs, located in many places throughout the world, were usually just for show, since the citizens of the lands it connected to all had wings to fly with. They were ridiculously long, so long that even winged travelers often had second thoughts about using them.

When she arrived at her destination, she immediately shielded her eyes with her hands, squinting at the pure white world, with white clothed angels moving on equally white clouds. She had literally traveled on a stairway to Heaven, often called Angel Lands by outsiders.

"Why is the color white so _bright_?!" Nico hissed. Still half squinting, she looked around, spotting the closest angel. A female with layered rosy-red hair that fell just past her shoulders. The angel was clad in a dress that had a pure white top and a blue and purple ombre bow resting under her chin, and a lavender skirt that was short at the front and long in the back, reaching down to her ankles. She was barefooted, and white ribbons twirled around her ankles and arms. Her white feathered wings were wider than even Nico's, and were outstretched and limp on the clouds. The red-haired angel's eyes were fixated on the writing of a scroll as she lounged on a fluffy cloud, lazily twirling a lock of crimson hair around her finger.

"Aha!" Nico shouted. "An angel!" Summoning a ball of shadow, she quickly charged it up, then aimed and threw it at the unsuspecting angel. She swiftly grabbed her trident from her back, ready for battle.

The stranger, sensing imminent dark energy, turned around and stared at the shadow ball approaching her. "Eh?!" she scrambled off her cloud, great white wings flapping wildly as she dodged the attack, getting her bearings back. "What the hell?!" she exclaimed, glaring at her assailant.

"Don't dishonor my home!" Nico snapped. "I live in Hell!" Her hands tightened around her trusty weapon.

"A devil?" the girl realized, observing the dark aura that surrounded the girl that contrasted drastically to the white background of Heaven. "Aren't you, like, twelve years old? What are you doing up in Heaven?"

"I'm much older than that!" Nico gasped in shock, losing her composure. She was a devil! Twelve years was the age of an infant! She shook her head and regained her composure. "Don't play innocent with me!" she accused, jabbing a finger toward the angel, losing her composure again as she thought about her siblings, who were spirited away to who-knows-where. "I know you angels kidnapped my siblings!"

"Eh? Your siblings?" the redhead frowned. "Angels are pure-hearted. Otherwise we would become Fallen. Why would we commit such a crime?"

"You know the worlds of Heaven and Hell have been at war for a millennia!" Nico pricked her lip with her fangs in worry. The angel was right, though. If an angel went against any of Heaven's major laws, their wings would be stained black as a sign of guilt, and the Fallen angel would be exiled. Likewise, a Cleansed devil's wings would be bleached white, and they would be exiled as well. Cleansed and Fallen were forced to live in an unknown, wicked land until their wings were released from guilt, and enable them to return.

"Yes," the angel conceded, "but nobody up here would stoop so low as to abduct a child."

A moment passed before Nico deflated, tears welling up in her eyes. "I guess you're right… I just wanted someone to blame it on." She sniffled weakly.

The angel started forward, a look of sympathy on her face, but suddenly a flash of white shone close by. "Perhaps you should blame it on me," a low voice said.

"What?!" Nico whispered in surprise, looking at the cloaked stranger that appeared in front of her. Was he the one that took her siblings?

"I only required one of the devils, but your annoying siblings wanted to stick together," the man said crossly.

Nico's eyes narrowed in anger, beginning to charge at the man, but was forced to stop when she felt a pair of slender arms wrapping around her waist.

"What are you doing, angel?!" Nico snapped. Her wings flapped around uselessly and occasionally smacking the angel.

"My name is Maki! And it's too dangerous! Don't go charging into peril so recklessly!" She grunted. "And stop hitting me!"

"Yes, listen to your girlfriend," the magician said in a mocking tone.

"Shut up! She's not my girlfriend!" The two yelled in unison. Maki let go of Nico's midriff and the two girls faced each other. "You shut up, too! No, you shut up!" the bickering pair turned away from each other, crossing their arms at the same time, momentarily forgetting about the magician. "Hmph!"

The magician rolled his eyes at the immature duo. "Ah, young love… Anyway, can I just capture you now? I don't have need of yet another devil, so move aside." He headed towards Maki and reached out his hand, intending to grab the angel's wrist.

Maki turned around, smoothly and effortlessly blasting him with light magic. The man stumbled backward, his eyes blinded. Without wasting another second, the angel and devil teamed up and attacked the lone magician. Nico did most of the fighting, inflicting dark magic on the man's body and trying to stab him with her trident, while Maki distracted him from any attempt at attacking with striking white light.

"Aaaahhhh!" Injured and temporarily sightless, the magician scrambled from the heated pair. "You'll regret this!" he yelled as he teleported away, cursing all the while.

Grinning slightly, the angel and devil high-fived in victory, forgetting about their earlier dispute.

"I like someone who can defend themselves," Nico said appreciatively. It was rather impressive that an angel knew offensive magic, since they are known for outstanding healing and shielding magic.

"Thanks. I primarily specialize in healing, though," Maki graciously said, "Also, you haven't told me your name yet."

"My name is Nico," the devil answered. "Nico-Nico-Nii!" she danced around.

Maki stared at Nico blankly. "… That is ridiculous."

Nico flushed, stopping. "Shut up!"

"Anyway," Maki began, "I want to get back at that magician for attempting to seize me. Since he is human, it's likely that he commonly stays in Earthland, so I'm going to look there. Care to come with me in my pursuit in tracking him down?" she asked, holding out her hand for a truce.

"… Yes," Nico accepted, grasping the other's slim fingers.

The two polar opposites shook hands, provoking the commencement of an incredible bond.

* * *

Maki is wearing her idolized White Day/Angel outfit.

Nico is wearing a mixture of her unidolized and idolized version of her Little Devil card.


	4. Capturing of a Mermaid

Psykoakuma: Thank you very much! A mermaid princess does get kidnapped, but she's not the only one.

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Capturing of a Mermaid

A man peeked out from the luscious green bush he was hiding behind, observing the two friends, a mermaid and a fairy, conversing. They had been meeting nearly every day since their first encounter, and the man, who had noticed this, had begun spying on them to accurately analyze their daily procedures. It may be creepy, but it was necessary for his ultimate scheme to be successfully achieved.

He considered his possibilities for a moment. _'I need both of them there in order for it to activate, but I must take, at the very least, one of them. Both are ideal, but I need to hurry. There's no telling how skilled they are in their magical elements. I shall set my plan in action tomorrow, then.'_

With that conclusive thought and an evil laugh, he teleported away in a white flash of blinding light, unnoticed by the mermaid and the fairy.

* * *

Umi swam gracefully to the surface of the ocean, her baby blue mermaid tail moving elegantly and swiftly. She popped her head out of the blueness, water spraying into the air and reflecting beautifully off the blazing sun. She gazed into Fairy Woods, searching for the one she most desired at the moment. No one in sight—but that was alright; the prompt mermaid was often early, due to her insistence of being on time, in contrast to the fairy, whom was, on occasion, a small number of minutes late.

She rested her arms on the sandy shore, waiting for Kotori. There seemed to be an odd sensation in the air, but the mermaid dismissed the vibe, thinking it to be the beating butterflies in her stomach. She felt even more nervous about meeting the gorgeous fairy today, for some reason unbeknownst to herself. The dark-haired girl's heart thumped against her chest in anticipation of seeing the lovely fairy, as it did nearly every other day.

A few moments later, Kotori arrived, spotting the mermaid and waved happily in greeting. She fluttered her wings delicately and flew towards Umi with a cheerful smile. The actions were cut short when a glow of golden light suddenly filled the air, stopping the fairy in confusion. Glancing down, she could make out glowing lettering that circled around her and Umi.

Umi's eyes widened in realization as a man appeared behind the fairy, cackling evilly. "Kotori!" she cried out, mentally reprimanding herself for not noticing the trap sooner. So that was what the feeling was! "Watch out! Behind you!"

"Eh?!" Kotori said, startled. When she comprehended the mermaid's words, she began to turn around, but the man grabbed onto the fairy's wrist. Kotori flinched at the sudden touch, struggling to escape his grasp.

Umi slashed her hand through the air, an enormous wave of water rising up and pushing Kotori and the man away from each other, and the man let go of Kotori in surprise. The gray-haired fairy landed roughly outside a glowing magical circle—in which the mermaid was still enclosed in. "U-Umi! No!"

Umi stayed still helplessly, no longer able to move her body. Her body hit the sand and her tail splashed into the shallow water, held down by the immense pressure that the magic circle created. "Stay away!" Umi cried out as Kotori attempted to throw herself back in the magic circle that was outlined by a radiant yellow light. She bounced off it, tumbling to the ground.

Kotori shook her head in frustration, stood up, and decided to use the magic she infrequently used, due to the serene peacefulness of Fairy Woods. She stretched out her right, dominant hand, concentrating. A long green vine shot out from beneath the earth, and matched her movements as it reached out in intent to grasp Umi.

The plant managed to get past the barrier and wrapped itself in a circle around Umi's slim waist as the fairy twirled her finger. Kotori closed her fist, and the vine constricted itself just as the magician took the mermaid's arm. The magician quickly chanted a hurried spell, waving an elegant staff in the air. He vanished along with Umi, and the vine grasped empty air.

Kotori dropped her arm to her side in defeat, and the vine collapsed to the ground. The fairy stared at the empty space in front of her, eyes filling with unshed tears. "I was so close… too idiotic to realize… it was my fault."

All of a sudden, a girl rushed into the scene. Her purple kimono was patterned with flowers, and her lavender hair was tied up into a sophisticated side bun. As she stepped forward, the ground began frosting up, and she almost seemed to be translucent. "Where is he?"

"Eh?" Kotori raised her tear-stricken face and peered at the girl in confusion.

"The magician," the stranger clarified, her droopy mint-green eyes discreetly observing the fairy.

"Oh… he seized my friend, Umi, and disappeared," Kotori answered. A tear streamed down her face as she thought about her absent close friend. "I couldn't do anything… she pushed me out of the way…"

The girl swore suddenly. Kotori widened her eyes at the colorful expletives, and tilted her head in curiosity, prompting explanation.

The girl introduced herself: "I'm a spirit; one who intends to keep this country from harm. Nozomi, at your service. I was chasing the magician—he has been creating malevolent and sinful mischief all over the country—but it appears that I was unable to apprehend him. I apologize sincerely for my inadequacy."

"It's alright… I'm Kotori," said girl replied, "I have to save Umi! It is my responsibility, and I owe my life to her. She traded herself to the wicked magician for my safety, and I am in complete debt."

The spirit nodded in understanding: "Shall we work together, Kotori-chan? I can support you; traveling alone in Otonokizaka is currently dangerous. I advise that you acquire a companion to provide maximum support and caution. Additionally, not only can I provide safety, I can also hopefully assist you in rescuing your significant other, as I am well-trained by other powerful spirits."

Kotori blushed at Nozomi's assumption that Umi was her lover, and said, "Oh, Umi and I are simply good friends! Moreover, I would love for you to ally with me." Kotori bowed gracefully. "Thank you, Nozomi-san. I am sure your aid will be incredibly helpful in my journey—our journey."

Nozomi bowed, too, in response. "No problem," the spirit said cheerfully, "I'd love to work in partnership with you. However, if you get in trouble…" She held up her hands, and squeezed the air repeatedly: "… I'll have to punish you!" she grinned viciously in threat.

"Eep!" Kotori jumped in surprise, slightly regretting her decision.

Nozomi laughed: "Don't worry, Kotori-chan. I won't unleash the washiwashi." she paused. "… I think."

Kotori sweatdropped and stared at her acquaintance, then shook her head, choosing to ignore the implied impending action. "So, how are we going to find Umi?" she asked, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly.

"Don't worry," Nozomi assured with a gentle smile. From a hidden pocket, she pulled out a small box labeled _'Major Arcana'_. She took out the contents, a glowing deck of cards, and spread them out flat in the air with practiced ease. "the spiritual power shall guide the way."

* * *

Nozomi's clothes are the unidolized New Years costume.


	5. Treating Injuries

Collab with kaffinee.

Psykoakuma: We will keep your thoughts about Nozomi in mind, thank you!

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Treating Injuries

The trio arrived at a rocky cave near the shoreline. It had taken them a week to travel there, due to Hanayo's friend living independently in an isolated area of Dragon Hills. The cave itself was huge, and Honoka had to wonder how large dragons are to need a cave this enormous.

"Hello?" Hanayo called out hesitantly into the cave, fidgeting. "It's me."

Nobody answered.

"I've been wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet… my friends… I'm Hanayo!" the rice goddess tried again.

An awkward silence followed.

"… Perhaps your friend is out hunting," Honoka said after a moment of quiet.

"Let's go in and wait for her, nya!" Rin suggested cheerfully.

"Isn't that breaking and entering?" Honoka asked, sweatdropping.

Rin declined response, scratching at the somewhat firm ground with her claws to sharpen them, since there were very few trees around. She looked up and gave Hanayo a hopeful look.

"Alright…" Hanayo gave in reluctantly. She could never deny those looks.

The three females stepped into the dark cave. Honoka stared around in wonder at the size once her eyes adjusted to the dimness. The cave was even larger inside, and its dimensions were noticeably greater than when perceived from outside.

"Hey… isn't that…" Honoka pointed toward a shadowy corner of the cave, imperceptible from the outside. Golden light radiating from an unknown force residing there had caught her attention.

Hanayo followed Honoka's line of vision and gasped. "Eli!" She exclaimed in horror, rushing over to the dragon lying in the corner. The dragon was golden-scaled and enormous. Her ears lay flat against her head, and her spear-tipped tail occasionally thrashed around. She had a large, fresh gash running across the side of her stomach, and the area surrounding it was swollen red. Her eyes were closed, and she twitched uncomfortably as a growing puddle of blood pooled on the rough ground.

The rice goddess quickly moved her hands up in a sweeping motion repeatedly, concentrating on what she wished to acquire as Honoka hurriedly cleaned the wound with her first-aid kit, doing her best to disinfect it with her limited supplies.

Slowly, a luscious green herb grew out from the ground, courtesy of the rice goddess. "Goldenseal," Hanayo explained as she smoothly plucked it. She rubbed the leaf and its juices against the injury while Honoka finished and stepped aside, letting the goddess work her magic. Eli growled in pain as the wound gradually healed, leaving behind merely a small scar: "It normally merely reduces inflammation, but I've enchanted it to work even more efficiently.

"Whew," Hanayo giggled, wiping her slightly damp forehead, "I have not used my healing magic in a while. That needs to change, if these situations come up again."

"That's impressive," Honoka said, awed. "How much magic is in your intellect?"

"Kayo-chin can use nature magic and healing magic!" Rin piped in. "She's the strongest rice goddess out there!"

"Thank you, Rin-chan… But I'm still the only rice goddess out there." Hanayo sweatdropped again, laughing lightly. "Furthermore, even though I am able to practice two types of magic, I'm not as powerful as fairies with their nature magic or angels with their healing magic."

"That's still amazing, Hanayo-san," Honoka said. "As a human, even a minor amount of magic is incredibly extraordinary—and your magic is already remarkable by itself." She then frowned at the dragon anxiously: "Eli-san isn't moving at all now."

"… I think she's sleeping off the injury, nya," Rin whispered.

"Let's wait for her to awaken," Honoka suggested.

The other two nodded in agreement.

* * *

After a few hours of sitting around (Honoka practiced her sword technique whilst Rin and Hanayo had long conversations about food and watched over Eli together), Rin stood up and announced, "I'm hungry, nya."

"I have food rations," Honoka said, bringing out a bag and opening it. Inside were small, dry pellets, made with fish and packed together with herbs. They were intended to keep a person from getting hungry for long periods of time.

Rin stared at the sack of dry pellets, and can't keep her nose from twitching in disgust at the mixture. "… Sorry, but I'm craving fresh meat," the kitsune said apologetically, "I'm gonna go out hunting."

"Stay safe!" Hanayo cautioned as Honoka sheepishly put the bag away. Rin nodded before dashing off.

* * *

Half an hour later, Rin came back into the cave. "I nearly got lost," she said, grinning unashamedly, and dropped the body of a dead, bloody lamb on the ground.

Honoka went out to get firewood, and the trio swiftly created a small campfire near the entrance of the cave, the smoke billowing out into the star-filled night sky. They began cooking the raw meat over the fire.

The tangy smell of the juicy, flavored, fresh meat hit, and Rin sighed contently. She looked over to Eli, and her eyes widened in surprise. Eli's cerulean blue eyes were open and gazing at the roasting lamb. Hanayo and Honoka followed Rin's line of sight, and they gasped softly.

All of a sudden, the great dragon began thrashing around without warning.

"Eli!" Hanayo cried, rushing over in attempt to soothe the dragon. "It's me, Hanayo! Don't worry, Eli, you're safe."

After a while of Hanayo gently rubbing her soft fingers against Eli's scaly skin, the dragon gradually calmed down.

"Eli-san," Honoka tentatively said, stepping near the dragon, "My name is Honoka. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Eli slowly nodded in acknowledgement as her piercing blue eyes raked calculatedly over the bodies of the three figures crouching in front of her. She rose up, wincing slightly as she strained her muscles, and got into a sitting position.

Rin grinned at her. "Hi, Eli!" she said, waving her tails. Eli thumped her own tail onto the ground in return.

"Eli, care to inform us of what occurred?"

The dragon flicked her tail slightly and began growling, Rin and Hanayo nodding seriously as she went on.

After a while, Eli stopped, looking weary.

"… Am I the only one who has no idea what Eli-san just said?" Honoka said awkwardly, "All I heard were growls."

Rin giggled as Hanayo said, "Oh, I forgot! Sorry, Honoka-san!"

"I'm a kitsune, so I can understand all animals, and Kayo-chin is a divine goddess, so she can understand all living beings." Rin explained. She took the meat, which had finished cooking, and sliced out three moderately sized portions for her, Hanayo, and Honoka. The rest of the lamb she dragged over to Eli.

"Anyway, to summarize what Eli just told us," Hanayo began, "her sister, Alisa-chan, was kidnapped—I presume it was due to the same magician that caught your sister and fiancée, Honoka-san. Eli attempted to save Alisa-chan, but the magician used a spell that severely incapacitated Eli, and she was rendered immobile due to a trap he set. After the two vanished, Eli had crawled into the corner, and lost consciousness."

"Oh, wow," Honoka said understandingly in sympathy, "He captured my sister, as well—and my lover. I hope none of them are harmed." She paused, staring at the meat on the makeshift wooden plate. "… Where's the fork and knife?"

Rin gawked at the princess. "Honoka-san, we're going to sleep on cold, stone ground tonight. Do you expect us to eat elegantly?" she asked, diving into the meal. "Ahh, this is delicious!"

Honoka grinned sheepishly. "Sorry… I'm kind of used to luxury." She picked up the meat with her hands and chewed on it.

Eli finished off the rest of the lamb in in a few bites and began growling again. Hanayo continued to translate: "Eli saw a strange, dark tower up north on the outskirts of Otonokizaka. Perhaps we ought to head there tomorrow at daybreak, when Eli recovers her strength."

Rin and Honoka nodded in agreement.

"Tonight, we rest."

* * *

As a goddess, Hanayo does not need to eat. But she can if she wants to.


	6. Striving for Freedom

Psykoakuma: Dragon Eli does not get a costume reference because she is a giant golden dragon. I have no idea what exactly is Kitsune Udon, but kitsune are basically magical foxes, and foxes are typically carnivores. The magician's aim will be revealed…in a few chapters or so. Maybe. At the climax. And fresh lamb meat is more appetizing than fish pellets, so there's that. You are… _not_ the only person reading this, but you _are_ one of the only two people who reviewed this fanfic.

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Striving for Freedom

Umi woke up in a room dimly lit by candles flaring on the walls, opening her eyes and blinking away her drowsiness. She realized she was resting on something smooth and flat instead of her shell bed at home, and flailed mildly about in panic.

She peered around in confusion and gasped at the unfamiliar environment. _'Why am I in a tank?'_ she thought, alarmed. The tank was filled with lukewarm water, much different from the cool seawater she was used to. The mermaid cringed at the heat, swishing her tail nervously and feeling slightly claustrophobic from the small volume of the tank. She looked up, observing and taking notice of how the tank had no lid, and then looked forward through the glass and saw, in surprise, a young dragon chained to the wall across from her. It had lovely golden scales and sapphire colored eyes, as well as a spear-tipped tail.

The dragon was thrashing around in panic, wailing miserably and flapping its large wings wildly in an attempt to free itself from the restraints. From what Umi could see, a human and an elf were kneeling next to the golden dragon, attempting to calm the large beast with soothing strokes and gentle voices.

Umi turned her head sideways, continuing to scrutinize the room. She noticed three snoring children—two girls, one boy—with body-sized black wings protruding from their backs, situated near her tank—devil kids, she realized, and inhaled sharply in horror. The magician kidnapped _children_?!

All of a sudden—as if they had felt Umi's gaze resting on their diminutive bodies—the devil kids woke up. Their eyes widened as they looked around, and they immediately began bawling loudly. "W-where's Onee-chan?!" they cried out in despair, fat droplets of tears rolling heavily down their cheeks.

Umi lifted her head out of the water. "Calm down!" She ordered hurriedly. When the children began blubbing even louder and hugged each other frantically, she realized her mistake. "C-Calm down," she said more softly. The devils quieted by the slightest amount, their screaming piercing Umi's eardrums less, to some extent.

The mermaid thought for a while. A figurative lightbulb appeared over her head when she came up with a solution to calm the screaming devils. Umi began waving her hands around, drawing on her innate magic and focusing on her desired outcome. Sparkling water shot from the tank and flew into the air dazzlingly, forming into beautifully shaped hearts and stars. As she continued to do water tricks, the devil children quieted, transfixed by the works of art.

"Your magical prowess is incredible and elegant," the female elf from before commented, walking over. Her sharp eyes gazed at the results of Umi's magic. The dragon was now silent and watched the others placidly, its nose nuzzling comfortingly into the human's shoulder.

"Thank you." Umi blushed modestly and politely asked, "What is your name?"

"Tsubasa," said the girl, her pink lips forming into a tiny smile, "And yours?"

"Umi," the mermaid replied.

The human, also female, hugged the dragon tenderly in short farewell before standing up and walking over to Tsubasa. "Hello! I'm Yukiho, Tsubasa's fiancée's younger sister."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Umi said kindly. She nodded her head toward the dragon. "What is your name?" she called out, slightly meekly, due to her unsureness of the dragon being able to hear her.

Of course, dragons have stupendous hearing; it roared in response.

"Her name is Alisa," Tsubasa introduced. "I am an elf, and can therefore understand nearly any language, including Dragon Speak. It is a vital necessity to my species, as this knowledge enables us to communicate, and thus, make trades with all creatures of the world."

Umi nodded in understanding, her eyes sliding over to the now tranquil devils. They jumped up excitedly, eager to inform the group of their identities.

"I'm Cocoro!" the eldest devil announced. She wore an oversized white top, with a thin black ribbon tied in the front, along with a long, flowy orange skirt. Her short black hair was tied into a high side ponytail.

"I'm Cotaro." the youngest devil stated slowly in wonder. He wore an equally oversized pink shirt with a large '25' on the front and saggy blue pants. Unlike his sisters, his hair was not tied up at all.

"I'm Cocoa!" the middle, most energetic devil also announced. She wore a yellow button-up jacket over a dark navy top and light brown chino shorts covered her thighs. Her hair was also in a high side ponytail, tied up with two pink pearls.

"Hello!" Yukiho said cheerfully. Umi and Tsubasa waved, and the siblings beamed.

Umi turned back to Tsubasa. "How long have I been here?" She questioned.

"You were most recently imprisoned," Tsubasa informed, "Yukiho and I were the first; apprehended nearly a week ago, and then Alisa and the children, whom arrived nearly the same time; a few days back. They all put up quite a fight, however, and consequently the magician cast a sleeping spell on them. They only just awoke, which is why they were so distressed earlier."

"Oh," Umi said, biting her lower lip in worry. She hoped they would find a way to get out soon; she desperately wanted to see Koto—her family.

The conversation slowly faded away into mindless chatter as the group talked to each other about their personal lives. They bonded as time went on, and soon, peaceful silence filled the air as the devil siblings dozed off serenely. Cotaro was drooling.

* * *

A few hours later, a flash of light appeared without warning, blinding the motley group. The children of Hell stirred, but did not rouse. The magician stepped into the room, dragging an unconscious creature with him—a spirit, Umi observed silently in astonishment, judging from the slight transparency of its body. Deadly glares were aimed at the man from all around the chamber, who dropped the spirit off roughly onto the stone floor in addition to a few cans of food. He smirked callously and vanished without a single word or glance at the other creatures currently inhabiting the room.

Tsubasa rushed to the spirit, checking for any signs of injuries, and tossed the cans of food to Yukiho. She sighed in concealed anger when she spotted a large red burn, evidently caused by a magical flaming ball: "Too many innocent beings are being injured and seized."

"I wish there were a means to stop this treachery," Yukiho said in resentment, opening the cans of food. Umi stared at a can of tuna, bile rushing into her mouth. The other girl, spotting the mermaid's look of unease, quickly tossed the particular can into a small trashcan, and then passed around the other cans of food.

"Is there a way to escape?" Umi inquired, floating up and picking gingerly at the oddly shaped sources of nourishment. She decided to eat them only to restore her strength, and her tail flickered in distress through the murky water. Even though the foods looked repulsive, she couldn't afford to deteriorate when times were harsh.

"We're trapped in a circular room that's surrounded by a magic circle," Tsubasa stated, thinking strategically. "I am familiar with crafting and enchanting magic. Perhaps I shall be able to come across a solution."

Yukiho and Umi's eyes widened at the elf's statement as Alisa growled in encouragement. The dark mood lifted, and Yukiho quickly replaced Tsubasa in aiding the spirit. The erudite elf found a corner in the circular room, writing out formulas with her fingers onto the stony gray ground, and the others did their best to help prepare for their hopeful and anticipative escape. Umi couldn't help but smile. _'We might be able to get out of this on our own.'_

* * *

The magician's an idiot if he thinks that his prisoners would be too docile to rebel against him.


	7. An Alliance Forms

Sleygal: Thank you! Since this is our first time creating a fantasy world, we weren't sure how to incorporate the different cultures of the different species into the story itself. It's great that this method works well!

WeebVirus: Thank you very much!

Psykoakuma: It's a different spirit, one that didn't know about the magician yet and was caught off guard as a result. As for Eli's costume…who knows? And thank you for educating us on Kitsune Udon. It sounds delicious, certainly something Rin would enjoy if it was available.

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

An Alliance Forms

The devil and angel fluttered their large wings, rising gracefully into the sky. Their eyes swiftly darted around, observing their surroundings from their high point in the air.

"The magician is not in sight," Nico declared, "shall we move on?"

"Affirmative," Maki answered, eyes still scanning the horizon in case of unexpected events. "We must move quickly, however. The sun is already about to set; we spent quite a bit of time in the woodland."

Nico and Maki settled down to the ground and began heading away from the dim, murky forest. They paused in their steps when they felt a slight rumbling in the hard ground beneath their feet.

"… Do you sense it?" Nico asked.

"Affirmative."

"Stop saying that!" the devil huffed. Maki rolled her eyes.

The rumbling grew louder, developing distinctively into large, heavy footsteps that shook the entire forest.

The duo looked at each other in trepidation and slowly turned around.

"Watch out!" Nico cried out hastily. She dived at Maki, and they tumbled away just as a large, bouldery fist came swinging. With its momentum, it flew past the empty air where, just moments ago, Nico and Maki were standing, and smashed into a tree. The tree broke in half, and its bushy branches slowly tumbled down onto the earth, crashing with an impressive sound.

Maki stared, horrified at the large anthropomorphic being that was emerging from the shadows of the dark woods. Its enormous fist was back by its side; as long as a pole and as thick as a tree's stump. The angel turned toward Nico. "… Thank you for keeping me from harm." she said breathlessly.

The devil's cheeks turned rosy, but a sly smirk appeared on her face. "Of course! The great Nico Nico Nii is unbeatable! I'm the best!"

Maki rolled her eyes again. "I didn't say that."

Another shattering step stopped the banter. The two looked up.

"Gee, that's huge," Nico said, "It's a golem, correct?"

Maki nodded in confirmation: "An earth golem."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's brown, and its body looks like it's formed out of rocks. Do you not know that much?"

Nico snarled and bared her teeth. "I know enough for me to make a living!" How else would she be able to acquire food and shelter for her siblings? With her skills, she was able to participate in Hell's combat arena. Sure, she may end up gravely injured one day, but the winner's rewards were more than worth it. However, she had never seen golems in the arena, and wouldn't know their weaknesses.

The golem reached the two girls, its footsteps as loud as thunder. It lifted its foot menacingly, threatening to crush the duo.

"Crap!" Nico and Maki jumped out of the way, flapping their enormous wings. They flew into the air in attempt to gain advantage over the grounded golem.

"Hiyaah!" Nico charged toward the golem, pulling out and brandishing her trident from where it was slung over her back. She stabbed the golem with all her might, using her body to attain more power.

"Aaah!" she cried out as she bounced off the hard, rocky form, clutching her prized weapon against her chest.

Maki hastily caught Nico in her arms, hugging the devil close to her body. "Idiot. Golems—especially earth golems—are incredibly solid because of how the elemental material of their body forms. This one was presumably sent by the magician, so it may be even more defensive and powerful than most golems."

Nico blushed and struggled out of the angel's grasp awkwardly. Yet she took heed of Maki's advice, slinging her trident back on her back and resorting to using her dark magic: "Shadowball!"

A dark sphere flew toward the golem. It struck, creating a hole in its body. The golem groaned, taking a large step back and falling to the soil on the ground with a loud _thump_.

"Yes! Mwahaha!" Nico said gleefully, pumping her fist in the air triumphantly.

"Wait, Nico-chan, look." Maki indicated toward the golem, looking astonished.

The hole was slowly but progressively closing up, and before long, the golem was as good as new. It got back up and stepped forward tauntingly.

"What?!" Nico demanded, gritting her teeth. She fired off an abundance of shadowballs, panting slightly from the amount of energy expended. They continued to make holes in the golem's shell, but the golem also continued to regenerate unfailingly.

The enemy grew impatient and swiped its large fist toward Nico. The devil didn't manage to react quickly enough due to her depleted energy, and the fist connected with a terrifying sound.

"Nico-chan!" Maki screamed in horror. She rushed to the falling female, catching and pulling her close again. She fluttered her large white wings and gently landed both of them onto the ground.

The loud footsteps of the impending golem sounded as the two females huddled together, the angel desperately healing the devil as quickly as she could. It was a good thing Nico didn't receive any broken bones yet, since Maki doubted that she would have the time to set them in this dangerous situation.

One could almost see the smirk on the golem's stony face as it raised its humongous foot in melodramatic anticipation of crushing the duo.

Suddenly, as the foot came down, a long, thin, but durable green vine wrapped itself around the torso of the golem, pulling it backward roughly before any damage could be done to the girls. The golem was hurled back into a crowd of trees, breaking the trunks in half with a snap. The golem was then abruptly turned to ice, along with the soil underneath it as it lied on the ground, dazed.

Nico sluggishly woke up, and Maki stared at the fairy and spirit standing together across the forest field. The angel was gaping: "… That was so badass."

"I'm badass too, right?" Nico groaned. Maki ignored her.

"Thank you!" the fairy said cheerfully, skipping over to Nico and Maki. The snow spirit followed along. "I'm Kotori, and this is Nozomi-san! It's nice to meet you!"

"I-I'm Maki, and this is my girl—my friend, Nico-chan the reckless idiot..." the angel said, bewildered by the fairy's energetic aura.

"Hey," grumbled the devil, slowly getting up.

A roar suddenly interrupted their introductions. Nozomi swore viciously as the golem moved, breaking out of the ice. "We need to keep it stationary by means other than ice," she realized. "My magic is too easy to escape from."

"On it!" Kotori threw out a hand, and multiple vines grew swiftly out of the ground, wrapping themselves securely around the golem, who was rendered unable to break free.

Nozomi clenched her fists, and the golem and soil froze up again into a hefty block of ice at once. Then she threw a single tarot card, which embedded itself deeply into the bulky silhouette. Little by little, cracks formed in the ice. Soon it completely shattered, and the golem crumbled to the ground, revealing a glowing blue sphere that floated in the air where the golem once stood.

Nico shakily got up while Maki worriedly watched her. The devil limped to the sphere, wincing slightly at times when she moved her sensitive body.

"Watch out," the angel whispered cautiously. She clasped her hands together nervously and prayed. She had read of golem hearts—of how, given enough time, it would draw up its element to reform the body. She did not know how long, but that was enough to make her worried for the safety of her devil partner.

"Don't worry," Nozomi said serenely, "this is her obligation. The heavenly bodies will keep her safe."

The devil grabbed her trident, brought it up into the air, and stabbed the blue sphere with all her might.

A low moan faded into the darkening sky as the sphere cracked, and then shattered into thousands of miniscule pieces with a burst of blue light. Kotori applauded.

* * *

"I don't get it, though." Nico said as the quartet settled down around a bonfire. Its magnificent flames rose up into the twilight sky stunningly, as if trying to combat the glittering beauty of the stars overhead. "Why did the golem keep getting rejuvenated when I hit it with my shadowballs?"

"It was standing on soil," Nozomi explained from where she sat, far away from the bonfire. Even if she had been trained to withstand high temperatures for a short while, feeling like she was going to melt was not fun. "Earth golems renovate their health and energy from soil. As you may recall, I froze the ground, in addition to the golem, so it remained crumbly when the ice shattered. I was taught this during my training. I'm glad studying hard came of use, and I'm sure my instructors will be pleased that I applied this knowledge in a real-life situation. Do well in school, kids!"

"She also used spiritual power to guide her," Kotori added.

"What?" the angel and devil asked in unison.

"Don't worry about it," Nozomi assured, smiling cheerfully.

"Anyway, let's form an alliance," Maki suggested, "You two are tracking down the magician as well, correct?"

"Yep!" Kotori confirmed. "But I don't want us to just be allies."

"Eh?" Maki said in surprise. What else would the fairy want them to be?

"I want us to be friends!"

"Oh my Satan, that was so corny," Nico said. Maki smacked her. "Ow! Okay, we would love to be friends and travel the country and beat people up together."

"Not like that," Maki hissed. Nico stuck her tongue out immaturely at the angel.

Kotori grinned, choosing not to question the behavior of her new comrades, and clapped her hands together. "Yay!"

And so, two groups of two became one group of four.

* * *

Nico and Maki have a nice relationship going on here.

Golems don't actually have faces, but you can imagine a smirk on anything if you try hard enough.


	8. Battle in the Mist

blinkkittylove: That's great!

Psykoakuma: Thank you for your kind compliments! And yes, that's what imagination should be used for.

Spinxslord: That was our goal all along, haha.

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Battle in the Mist

"Can anyone see the tower?" Honoka asked as she gingerly stepped over stray branches on the forest floor, looking around at her surroundings. She was quite enthusiastic to explore more of the world that was formerly hidden from her.

"No," Rin complained, squinting her eyes in an effort to see. "It's too misty! I can hardly see _anything_!" She kicked the ground in frustration, sending a cloud of dirt flying up.

"Don't worry, we're bound to sight something of importance soon," Hanayo assured optimistically. Her arm was linked with the kitsune's, and the duo was walking side by side in impressive yet effortless synchronization.

Eli grumbled in irritation, shuffling along awkwardly behind the group. Due to her large physique, any trees that came in contact with her were toppled over, crashing to the muddy ground constantly and leaving behind a trail of disturbingly unintentional destruction. It was also very loud, ruining any element of surprise that the group might have. She growled a sentence to the rice goddess, who, noticing the dragon's uncomfortable situation, nodded sympathetically in acceptance.

"Hm?" Honoka tilted her head at the exchange. She soon found out what Eli had asked when the dragon disappeared in a flash of golden light. A blonde elf stood in her place, relaxing comfortably in the earthy atmosphere.

The elf wore a strapless royal blue cheongsam silk top that had intricate flower designs. White ruffles lined the uppermost part of the shirt, and elegant coiled buttons held it together. On her arms were a pair of blue lacy armbands, and baby blue fingerless gloves adorned her slim hands, with long, wavy ribbons tied around her wrists that flowed in the wind. Black short shorts with a gold trim covered the top of her legs, and blue and white stockings that had a flare of lace reached up to her thighs. Gold and black heeled knee-high boots completed the sophisticated look.

"Eh?!" Honoka screamed. She looked frantically from the elf to Hanayo to Rin, who all looked nonchalant but amused. "W-what just happened?!"

"All dragons can transform into different species of creature," the elf explained in a deep, smooth voice. She pulled her somewhat long hair up briskly into a neat ponytail with a hair tie, an alice blue bow with a white rose at the center, which she had managed to conjure out of nowhere. "It depends on the color of their scales. For example, blue dragons can turn into mermaids, red dragons can turn into—" she nodded toward Rin—"kitsunes, white dragons can turn into angels, et cetera.

"Conversely, this glamour is merely for communication purposes, which is desirable for the reason that dragons are one of the only intelligent species without the capability of speaking the human language.

"As such, we do not adopt the species' magic when we transform; I do not excel at crafting magical weapons when I'm an elf, and red dragon-turned-kitsunes cannot summon foxfire from their tails. We can still use regular Dragon Fire after we transform, though, so we are not completely defenseless in elf form.

"Furthermore, this information is not very well known, and could be considered confidential. We do have a slight fancy for the art of surprise."

"Wow…" Honoka breathed. "That's amazing." Already, she had learned so many things that she would not have learned at home. _'Adventures are very educating,'_ she thought. She couldn't wait to tell Yukiho and Tsubasa of her journey—when she rescued them, of course.

"Thank you," Eli responded with a warm smile, "It's much easier to move around with this miniature body in such a small area."

The quartet continued to walk through the forest, and reached a clearing in the center of the vast woodland. All of a sudden, Rin, who was in the front, halted abruptly, allowing the others to step up beside her.

"Do you see that?" the kitsune whispered, indicating in front of them. Looking frontward, the four girls could distinguish four dark shadows mirroring their own through the mist. The hazy fog was so thick that they couldn't identify the creatures of the shadows. "This is strange," Rin hissed, "I see four shadows, but I smell five unfamiliar scents."

A crackle of dread snapped through the air, and everyone was on their guard, waiting in anticipation for what would happen next—even the unknown creatures seemed wary. Rin and Hanayo stood together, holding hands nervously.

Nobody knew who exactly the first one to attack was, but suddenly, something exploded, and the clearing erupted into a loud, intense battle.

Rin and Hanayo found themselves paired up against another duo, working together to attack as a team.

Honoka faced off with an unknown person, slashing blindly at them with her sword through the concealing mist.

Eli stood alone, firing off dragon flames from her mouth at her opponent. She heard a high-pitched yelp of surprise and smiled grimly.

* * *

Rin's tails lit up with foxfire, one glowing orb of orange fire for each tail. "Burn," she whispered, and waved her tails swiftly, letting go of the flames as they swung toward the opponents. The inferno landed, grazing one of their foes' skin with a loud hiss of smoke. The kitsune smiled triumphantly when she heard a shriek of pain.

"AAH!" Hanayo screamed as she instantaneously got hit with what appeared to be a sphere of darkness.

"Kayo-chin!" Rin cried out, rushing toward the goddess, worry evident on her face. "Are you okay? Stay behind me so you don't get hurt!"

"S-sorry!" Hanayo squeaked, cowering behind the kitsune. Her injury was already healing due to her status as a divine being.

Rin shielded Hanayo as a blinding white light shone through the mist. The two recoiled and shut their eyes, waiting for the bright glare to subside.

When it did, Hanayo darted out from behind her protector. Rin, alarmed, turned quickly in surprise and shouted, "Wait! Kayo-chin, I just told you to keep safe!"

Hanayo paid the kitsune no heed. She flung out a hand, and a robust green vine grew out from the ground. It felt around for its targets, and then, with slight difficulty, tied the two anonymous creatures together. Rin and Hanayo could hear the surprised shouts of their opponents through the mist.

"I was tired of needing you to protect me all the time," the brown-haired girl said softly, turning to gaze gently at the kitsune.

Rin hugged Hanayo tightly, her tails coiling around them in affection. "I love you!"

* * *

Honoka thrust out her sword, and her opponent screamed as the blade sliced through skin—not enough to kill, but enough to be painful.

The swordswoman felt slight guilt at the thought of injuring another person. She deftly shook her head at herself, tossing the feeling away. _'I'm in a battle. Of course I'm bound to wound my enemies,'_ she thought nobly, and clenched her free hand into a fist in resolve.

Honoka suddenly gasped in surprise. While she was thinking, lost in thought for a split second, a devious green vine had reached out through the mist and plucked her sword from her fingers, which had relaxed due to her distracting thoughts. Then, a small wall of thorny plants rose up like an army from the ground, stopping at Honoka's waist and defending their initiator.

The princess swore unladylike. _'Stupid. I should've paid attention to what was happening around me.'_ How was a swordswoman supposed to battle without her sword? She couldn't go and fight with her bare fists; her foe was too far away and protected by the thorns, rendering Honoka unable to get close to her adversary.

Honoka stood cautiously in a fighting stance, watching for any signs of attack, as she was incredibly vulnerable without her weapon. But for some reason, the mist was still—as if her opponent had lost motivation to continue the battle.

* * *

Eli gently breathed fire, evading her opponent's sharp shards of ice that had been flung toward her body. The elf roared, and a great funnel of flames shot out of her mouth, targeting her foe. However, it appeared to have been eluded and thus have no effect. Her opponent seemed deadly determined to refrain from contact with the fire, no matter how miniscule.

Eli's sharp eyes caught sight of something flying toward her face—a card of some sort? She moved to dodge but stumbled, wincing slightly as she sensed the sharp playing card cut cleanly through the air right next to her face. She felt around the area with her hand and realized that the card had sliced many strands of the baby hairs near her right ear off.

The blonde girl sighed in frustration, irritated because she was simply too unused to fighting in elf form. Thus, she transformed, in a flash of golden light, back to her dragon form. She sighed again, this time in content, and rose up into the air, flapping her wings.

Eli highly suspected that her opponent was unable to see the sudden appearance of the dragon's large wings due to the thick mist, and decided to use that to her advantage. She began violently beating her wings, creating large and powerful gusts of wind in hopes of blowing her opponent away quickly. The dragon victoriously heard a distant thump and a cry of both surprise and pain.

Suddenly, the mist also began blowing away due to the dragon and her wings. Eli continued to flap her wings, curious to see who the strangers were. It would help to know what they were up against, after all.

As the mist gradually began to reveal everyone's identities, Eli's sensitive ears heard someone swear softly and the pitter-patters of presumably that person's footsteps as they quickly ran away. She whirled around, eyes darting around in search, but the intruder was already gone, the treetops blocking her view of them.

By then, the mist had completely disappeared. Eli could see her purple-haired opponent—a spirit?—slowly getting up after falling from the tree she had crashed into earlier, wincing frequently in pain.

The spirit looked around, scanning her opponents, and gasped. "Stop fighting!" she cried out. Eli surprisingly transformed back into elf form, immediately obeying the spirit. The spirit continued: "That's a _goddess_ we're fighting!"

Hanayo started at the sound of her being mentioned. She quickly withdrew her vines, and the other two girls—an angel and a devil—were unbounded.

"Sorry," the angel said sheepishly, "we didn't notice we were battling a heavenly being."

"I-It's okay," Hanayo stuttered, "I'm just a lowly goddess of rice. I'm sorry for tying you up like that."

"You better be," the devil grumbled.

The angel whacked her partner, but Hanayo giggled. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Hanayo, and this is Rin-chan, a kitsune."

Rin waved when she was introduced, grinning merrily.

"I'm Maki, an angel, and this is Nico-chan the Reckless Devil-Idiot."

Nico scowled in defiance: "I can introduce myself perfectly fine; I'm Nico Nico Nii!" she danced around.

Hanayo sweatdropped. "Nice… Anyway, I think I'm going to begin healing my friends. They got a bit injured during our battle."

Maki nodded: "As will I." She began curing the devil of her wounds, who complained about not needing "some silly, fussy nurse" to look over her, earning another whack from the angel in the process.

A gray-haired girl handed Honoka's sword back to its owner. "Hi, I'm Kotori, a fairy!" she said, smiling cheerfully. "I'm sorry for taking your sword."

"Don't worry. I'm quite surprised you didn't attack me when I was so exposed and unguarded," Honoka said, "I'm Honoka, a royal but human princess. It's a pleasure."

Kotori giggled. "I didn't feel right injuring a defenseless person. Besides, you were unable to reach me, anyway, so there was simply no point in continuing to fight." She smiled at Maki as the angel tended to the gash on her arm, courtesy of Honoka's blade.

Eli straightened up and bowed toward the spirit: "I apologize for harming you. My name is Eli, and I am a dragon that is able to turn into an elf in order to speak in the human language."

The violet-haired girl smiled. "It's alright. I'm Nozomi, and I'm a snow spirit. I'm aiding Kotori and the others in tracking down the magician." Hanayo began healing Nozomi's injuries, having finished with the rest of her comrades, much to the spirit's surprise. "Thank you, Hanayo-chan."

"Yep," Kotori piped up, "Nozomi-san has been a great help. My girl—my best friend," she quickly corrected herself with a slight blush, "was captured by the magician, and I'm trying to rescue her."

Nico nodded. "My siblings were captured, too. Maki's been helping me so that I can beat up the magician!"

"My younger sister was seized as well," Eli said empathetically.

"As was mine," Honoka said, "along with my fiancée. Hanayo and Rin have been assisting me."

"Speaking of the magician," Hanayo, who had completed her tasks, spoke up, "Eli saw a mysterious tower earlier, and we've been looking for it."

"Would you like to team up with us?" Rin asked. "We'll be more successful in rescuing everyone if we team up and work together, rather than attempting to defeat the magician with two separate groups."

"Of course!" the others replied instantly with little debate.

And so, the two groups of four became one group of eight.

* * *

Eli's outfit is her idolized China Dress card.


	9. Escape from the Tower

Psykoakuma: Yeah, the attack made it kind of obvious, didn't it? The magician might get wrecked, he might not. We'll see.

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Escape From the Tower

"So, what is your name?" Umi asked the spirit softly, gently floating in the tank where she was held captive. The spirit had been unconscious for a few days, and had only just awoken from her torpor.

"Erena," the spirit answered, her deep, soothing voice radiating broadly through the air as her eyes swept around the room and observed the cellar-like environment.

The spirit had a mole under her sharp, slightly cat-like eyes, and violet-colored hair that flowed down to her waist. A mint green kimono outfitted her slender body, which complemented her emerald green eyes. She also wore gold triangle-shaped earrings that dangled as she moved her head to examine the room, and a white headband was slipped into her hair, pulling it back neatly.

"It's nice to meet you—" Umi began.

"I got it!" Tsubasa cried out suddenly, interrupting the mermaid. She sat back on her heels, her expression relieved, looking at the runes she had crafted.

"Really?!" the devil kids chirped eagerly, scrambling over to look at the new complex designs carved into the wall. Yukiho joined them, looking in wonder at the letterings, and Alisa rumbled excitedly at the prospect of escaping. Umi struggled to peer over them from her confinement, much to her misfortune.

The elf nodded, her weary eyes half-lidded with exhaustion yet sparkling in accomplishment: "I produced a formula that counters the enchantments of the magical circle surrounding this room, converted it into intricate runes, and inputted them directly into the walls of this chamber in hopes that the runes will reach the magical circle."

"Impressive," Erena said with respect. "You're quite the virtuoso."

Tsubasa smiled at the accolade. "It wasn't that impressive," she said modestly.

A golden light flashed. "Yes, it was."

A beautiful, blonde female slipped out of the too-loose chains that had bound her previously large body to the wall. The blonde had light blueish-gray eyes that brought out the soft features of her face, and wore a simple yet charming blue dress and black ankle boots that accentuated her long legs. A tiny jade green flower barrette was clipped into her vanilla-colored hair that reached slightly past her shoulders. Her pink lips curved into a great grin as she beheld the group of people. "Hi! It's nice being in human form."

Yukiho's jaw dropped, staring at the girl. "You—what—Alisa—how—"

Alisa looked amused, giving a tiny giggle. "Dragons can turn into different species of creatures depending on the color of their scales," she clarified.

"Ah." Umi nodded in understanding. "Interesting."

"When shall we begin our escape from this chamber?" Yukiho asked, glancing at Tsubasa.

"Soon," the elf replied. Dark circles lay prominently under her fatigued eyes. "However, I must plead for you to allow myself some sleep. I haven't any for days, so forgive me for the delay."

Umi nodded benevolently. "Of course, Tsubasa," she said gently, "please do not burden yourself in endeavoring to satisfy us. We are not in much of a rush."

"Thank you," Tsubasa whispered in gratitude, and dozed off, resting from nights of sleep deprivation.

As she slept, the girls proceeded to chat quietly, and Alisa explained more thoroughly about dragon transformation.

* * *

A few hours later, the door was yanked open, and the elf jolted awake.

"Eep!" Alisa squeaked in panic, hiding behind Yukiho. Her small frame was easily concealed by Yukiho's protective stance.

The magician stormed into the room, dragging along a fairy who trailed unconsciously behind him, limp. He dropped the girl brusquely onto the floor, the fairy's face hidden behind her dark orange hair.

The magician turned around and began making his way back out the door, then paused. He slowly turned back around.

"… Where did the dragon go?" he asked, staring at the empty chains across the room. His face began turning red. _"Where is the dragon?!"_ he yelled furiously. He glared at each of the creatures' faces. "Do you know how long it took to capture her? I had to fight the dragon _and_ her crazy, overprotective sister! I still have claw marks and third-degree burns from that battle!"

Yukiho could feel Alisa twitch nervously behind her in despair. The human shifted uncomfortably, hoping the magician would leave without further inquiry. Everyone could feel the tense ambiance in the air.

Contradicting Yukiho's wishes, the magician began to pace around the room, searching for Alisa. When he reached the wall, he stopped short, staring at the engraved inscriptions.

"… Why are there runes on the wall?" his face turned even redder as he whirled around and glowered at the prisoners, his cape flapping with the twist of his body. "Have you pitiful things been planning to escape?!"

"Crap," Umi whispered, "busted." She lifted her hands out of the tank and fired a stream of water toward the magician. "Hurry! Go!" she shouted hastily to the younger, more vulnerable creatures.

The magician sputtered as his face got hit with warm, disgustingly murky water from the uncleaned tank. "How dare you—"

Alisa ran out of her hiding place behind Yukiho. In one swift movement, she transformed back into a dragon. The magician's eyes bulged out of his head as Yukiho, Cocoa, Cotaro, and Cocoro hopped onto Alisa's large back. Umi directed more water streams at the magician, hoping to buy some time for the dragon to escape.

The magician ducked his head, avoiding the water, and ran after the four, droplets of water falling from his tousled hair and splashing onto the stony floor. Erena stood up swiftly and swept her right hand to the side, her face set in concentration.

"Agh!" the magician cried out as his entire body was flung to the side by a sudden wave of wind.

"A wind spirit?" Tsubasa said in approval, "Remarkable."

"Alisa, go!" Umi repeated. "We will meet up with you later!"

The dragon reluctantly nodded her head in acceptance. Tsubasa watched in anticipation as Alisa crashed through a large circular window, breaking out and flying up into the night sky. Her eyes lit up once the four younger creatures disappeared beyond the sparkling stars. "My formulation operated ideally!"

" _Yours?_ " the magician said dangerously, getting up. He waved his staff and chanted a few phrases. Within a few seconds, a large bubble shield had morphed and formed around him.

"Damnit!" Umi swore, Gathering the scattered droplets in the room and shooting them at the magician again. Her attack bounced off the shield and hit the wall, narrowly missing Tsubasa, who dodged. "I'm so sorry, Tsubasa!"

The magician chanted again before the elf could respond; now taking time and casting idly due to his extra barrier of protection. Because Umi and the others were unable to attack successfully, they were forced to watch powerlessly as he finished the spell. When he did, an enormous stone golem rose up, breaking through the floor.

Umi gasped, and Tsubasa and Erena scrambled backward as the golem walked toward them with slow yet thundering stomps.

"… We're screwed."

The golem attacked, swinging its fist toward Tsubasa. The elf leaped nimbly away, and the golem's arm hit the floor, leaving a large dent in the stone.

Umi blasted a series of water spheres at the golem. They landed, but the golem was hardly damaged, to Umi's growing frustration. It swung its fist toward Tsubasa again, and this time, it hit its target.

The elf crashed into the wall, and then slumped limply onto the floor next to the still comatose fairy.

"Tsubasa!" Umi cried. She lifted the top half of her body out of the tank so that only her mermaid tail remained in the water to achieve a more accurate aim, and shot another long, forceful stream of water.

Erena slammed her fist into the air in front of her with a powerful punch. The golem was thrown backward, and Umi could see that her piercing water had left a small hole through his chest.

"Nice!" Umi commended at the spirit's triumph.

Erena turned toward the mermaid and smiled. "We might be able to defeat the golem after all."

Suddenly, Umi's eyes widened in fear. "Erena, look out behind you!"

The spirit turned around in alarm, but she was too late. The golem's fist connected with Erena's head, and the spirit crumbled to the floor, her pink lips still open in surprise.

Umi let out a stream of expletives under her breath that her regal parents would have gasped in horror at. She fired off more attacks, but they did minor harm, and the golem's body kept regenerating as it stepped deliberately toward the mermaid. Umi backed up against the glass of the tank. She could no longer see the hole her water had made in the golem's chest.

The magician, still in his protective bubble, laughed. "Your little friend talked too early. Still think you can defeat me?"

Umi glared at him and swallowed tensely, a lump in her throat: "I-I can try!"

The magician rolled his eyes at the declaration and waved his staff in a convoluted series of motions. A few moments later, a muscular being of red smoke appeared in front of him in a puff of gray cloud. "I summoned you," he commanded, "great member of the djinn. Keep the ones whom escaped busy, while I deal with these troublemakers!"

The monster nodded its terrifying, flaming head silently. With a slight turn, it rose and flew out of the window, hunting for the runaway dragon and her passengers. A trail of fire was left as a faint trace of its presence, which soon diminished.

Umi could only helplessly watch, unable to stall their inevitable pursuit any longer. She closed her eyes briefly in despair as she thought, _'Please stay safe, my friends.'_

The golem reached the mermaid, and she turned back toward it in anticipation. Umi valiantly attempted to injure the golem once more, but failed to succeed. The golem raised its fist, and she hurriedly formed a water barrier from the tank water in panic, desperately hoping that it was enough to keep her from getting killed.

The fist dropped, easily breaking through the hastily made shield, and the mermaid screamed in pain. Dark spots appeared in her vision as she faintly watched the magician laugh and leave the room, along with the golem, which lumbered behind him unhurriedly. She felt like she was floating on top of the water, and was barely aware of her surroundings.

 _'At least the others got away,'_ Umi thought fleetingly as she gave in to the encroaching darkness.

* * *

Erena and Alisa's outfits are completely made up, but Erena's kimono is what all spirits tend to wear, while Alisa's is based off Eli's oufit.


	10. Protecting Family

Psykoakuma: Yeah, the magician doesn't treat his prisoners well. And poor Tsubasa's trying her best!

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Protecting Family

"We're nearly at the tower," Eli predicted, eyeing the large structure in the far distance. She was in her elf form, walking, with broad strides, through the forest. "It should be only one or two days until we reach it now."

"Nyay!" Rin cheered, skipping along. Her arms were linked with Hanayo's again, who was frantically trying to tell the eager kitsune to slow down as she stumbled behind her.

Nico grinned viciously, rubbing her hands together in delightful anticipation. "I can't _wait_ to find the magician and destroy him!"

Maki sweatdropped. "That's a bit… violent, Nico-chan."

Suddenly, Rin stopped in her tracks, causing Hanayo to lose her balance and nearly fall. Eli paused at the same time, sharing a surprised look with the kitsune.

"Did you hear that roar?" Rin asked, frowning in concern. "It was—it sounded like… a cry of distress."

Eli tilted her head, straining her ears, trying to make out who had made the sound. Her face paled once realization hit her. "That's—that was Alisa. She's in pain!"

"What?" Nozomi said in surprise, but Eli moved as if she didn't hear the spirit, leaping to the top of a tree with ease. The elf transformed hurriedly into her dragon form, and flew off, flapping her great wings powerfully. " _Eli-chii_!"

Hanayo looked at the others. "Kotori, Nico, Maki—go after her, please. We'll follow."

The mentioned people nodded, rose into the air, and pursued the dragon. The remaining creatures were stuck on ground, scrambling slowly behind.

"Wait up, Eli-san!" Kotori called out as the trio reached Eli. The golden creature was flying toward a clearing, where a dragon that looked much like her rested, whimpering slightly.

Eli flapped her wings excitedly, growling, and then swooped down, landing next to her sister. She transformed back into elf form. "Alisa—oh, you're safe!"

A moment of silence—then the younger dragon shook her head slowly.

"Eh?"

* * *

"Cocoro! Cotaro! Cocoa!" Nico cried out, diving toward her siblings once she spotted the noirettes. She crashed into them, landing into a heap of hugs and tears. She then sat back on her heels. "I-I missed all of you s-so much!" she sniffled, tears streaming down her face and snot dripping out her nose theatrically, much like her brother's constantly running nose.

The three younger devils eagerly returned the hug, bawling in joy at the sight of their older sister. In a cacophony of jumbled voices, they babbled about everything they had experienced since being kidnapped from their home.

"I'm sorry to break up your reunion, but—" Eli tapped the eldest devil on the shoulder, looking suddenly grim. "—we have yet another dilemma."

Nico's siblings quieted instantly as they began looking at each other with fearful glances, huddling closer to their older sister in apprehension.

Nico, on the other hand, was very confused. "Eh?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, too. Look." Eli indicated toward a dangerously smoldering tree, where a large, flaming monster of smoke was lurking around, watching them silently with sharp eyes. "It's a djinni—a demon created from a scorching fire, and that is a member of the _djinn_. My sister fears that it was sent by the magician; it has already made an attempt to attack her, overpowering and causing her to collide with the ground. Fortunately, the passengers are safe—but her wing is damaged. She is now unable to fly, and requires treatment." The elf bit her lip nervously, worry clear on her pale, eloquent face.

Kotori and Maki landed gently on the ground in unison, lifting their eyes to the utilitarian female. "Shall we attack?"

Eli shook her head. "I think I shall do the fighting for the time being—the djinni initiated injury upon Alisa, and now must be punished upon with my claws." Her eyes narrowed and she bared her sharp, white teeth into a snarl, her hands twitching at the thought of dealing retribution to the one who had dared harm her younger sister.

The others nodded in acceptance, backing away. "If you get hurt, however, we're stepping in," Maki warned. The angel then turned to Eli's sibling. "Allow me to heal you, Alisa," she said gently.

The younger dragon just nodded miserably.

* * *

Eli rushed toward the djinni, jumping and transforming into her other form smoothly in a flash of bright golden light. She soared through the air and growled, red-orange flames billowing out from her nostrils. Once she was close to the djinni, she roared wrathfully, and a great, magnificent stream of fire shot out of her mouth toward the demon. It struck.

However, the fire appeared to do no harm. The djinni's lips curled into a disturbingly malicious smile, its blood-red eyes flashing treacherously.

Eli hissed, frustrated at the djinni's immunity to her prior attack. Then sudden realization hit her like a brick. _'I'm a fool. Fire cannot overcome fire—we both have a certain level of immunity to flames, so the result would undyingly remain stalemate,'_ she thought with bated breath, and hovered, watching for something—anything at all—that she could use to her advantage.

Kotori, noticing Eli's sudden hesitance, announced, "I'm going to help Eli; you guys stay here as backup." Maki was busy healing Alisa, so Nico, who was assisting the angel, nodded.

Kotori fluttered her dragonfly wings into the air and flew to next to Eli. "How can I help?" she asked, looking at the dragon in inquiry.

Eli only growled in warning and shook her head, shifting forward so that she was between the djinni and Kotori.

The fairy pouted. _'I'm not useless!'_ Raising her arm up, Kotori urged long, thin vines to grow upward from the ground, quickly winding them around the djinni with the intention of trapping it.

Her opponent, however, merely burst into flame, easily burning the vines into ashes, and the ashes into nothing. It hissed menacingly, its furious gaze set onto the two girls.

Kotori bit her lip nervously, having just realized her unfortunate disadvantage. _'If only Umi-chan was here…'_ she couldn't help but think. The mermaid's powerful water magic would easily be able to defeat the djinni.

While Kotori was lost in her thoughts, Eli charged at the djinni, intending to win purely with brute force. She tackled it, but the djinni exploded into a burst of red smoke. She tumbled through the haze, losing her balance with a cry of alarm. The dragon growled, shaking her head and righting herself. When she turned back to her enemy, she suddenly gasped, and roared a desperate warning at Kotori.

Kotori started, refocusing on the situation—and gasped in terror at the stream of fire heading her way. She darted to the side just a moment too late, and screamed in pain as the intense heat engulfed her leg. The fairy's wings faltered and she dropped, plummeting through the air toward the ground. She closed her eyes in fear, bracing herself for the inevitable collision with the earth.

She landed on something warm and soft instead.

Kotori opened her eyes in surprise, meeting the gaze of her savior. Rin had dived to the spot below Kotori, using her multiple fluffy tails to cushion the fairy's fall.

"How lucky of me to get here in time, nya!" Rin said, her eyes twinkling mysteriously. She slyly winked at Hanayo, who couldn't help but giggle. The four girls that had to resort to walking—Rin, Hanayo, Nozomi, and Honoka—had just arrived at the battlefield.

The rice goddess knelt on the earthy ground, prompting the growth of an aloe plant in preparation for the healing of Kotori's burns. "Yes, very lucky," she responded to the kitsune, smiling. Hanayo plucked off a leaf from the plant as soon as it had fully developed and turned to the fairy. "Hold, still, please. I'm going to use this aloe foliage to treat your scalded areas."

"Thank you," Kotori whispered, her eyes dimly cast as the goddess squeezed the juices of the aloe leaf onto her burns. "I-I'm sorry… I really am useless…"

"No, you're not," Hanayo said gently, "You're very capable. You just haven't proved it yet."

* * *

When Maki finished treating Alisa, she said, "Rest up, okay? I'm going to help the others in the battle." When the dragon nodded, she rose into the air, her large white wings lifting her. "Nico-chan!" she called out.

"Yes!" The devil zipped past the angel, and the two rushed toward Eli and the djinni while Alisa dozed off into a fitful slumber, surrounded by protective devil children, a determined human princess, and a fiery snow spirit.

Eli growled at the twosome, not wanting them to be harmed like Kotori. Guilt pooled in her stomach as she thought of the fairy's severe blisters, which cascaded across one of her legs like raindrops pelting onto dry cement ground.

"Don't worry!" Maki called out, seeing the dragon's caution. "Nico and I have devised a plan whilst I was helping your sister!"

"Yeah," added Nico, "just stay away—you've done enough." The devil turned around, making sure everybody was in their proper places, nodded at them, and then looked back to the dragon. "We got this."

Eli dipped her head hesitantly, and then flew to the ground, changing back to elf form. Rin appeared by her side, whispering into her ear quickly. The elf nodded interestedly.

"Let's go!" Maki and Nico dashed toward the djinni, alarming it. "Come and get us!" they shouted. Nico threw a shadow ball dangerously close to the djinni's smoky physique. The djinni growled heatedly and began flying toward the two.

The angel and devil flew off, leading the djinni into a clearing devoid of trees. Once they reached the area, Maki swiftly rose up, twisted her body, and threw out her hand downward toward the djinni, who was located beneath her. A flash of brilliant white light radiated out, blinding the djinni and forcing it onto the ground. The beam of light continued to shine, delaying the djinni from any forms of aggression.

As the other allies began running into the clearing, the glare faded. The djinni shook itself, disoriented from the previous gleam of snowy dazzle, and restored itself to its previous forte.

" _Go!_ " Maki screamed before the djinni could do anything, wishing vengeance on the djinni for harming their beloved fairy and the younger dragon.

Nico threw up her hand, aimed, and shot a single globe of darkness. It went high.

The djinni emitted a rumble of laughter—the orb was unmistakably going to fly over its head and miss by a long shot. "Is that all you've got?" thundered the djinni, "You aren't even proficient at shooting at a single target, and you expect to defeat the _magician_?"

Suddenly, Nozomi appeared, flung her hand out, and froze the sphere. It suspended in place—right above the djinni's head.

Eli and Rin stepped next to the snow spirit. In unison, they gave a small nod to each other. Then, Eli raised her hand, and Rin raised her tails, and the two shot flames, tilting the blazes toward each other. The pillars of fire united, roaring into a raging inferno that hit the icy sphere with a red-hot flash of intensity. The frozen globe liquefied instantaneously, dripping frosty, arctic water down onto the djinni.

The djinni howled in pain, its formerly smoky body solidifying and gradually weakening due to the cold, melted ice.

Honoka walked up to the demon, gripping her long, piercing sword in her dominant right hand in preparation. Her face set, she lifted her blade, and—

" _Wait!_ " Kotori blurted out. She pointed toward at the djinni, her slim fingers shaking, her large golden eyes widening.

"What?" the swordswoman said in slight vexation. She lowered her weapon, yet continued to keep it steady in attentiveness. "The djinni charred your leg; now you wish to exempt it from its justified punishment?"

"W-Well," the fairy whispered tentatively, "can't you see? The djinni—" she motioned yet again with her hand.

The group of creatures altogether turned around, gazing at the fiery demon with more acuteness. "Oh." Nozomi said quietly as she noticed a metallic shine discreetly positioned on the djinni, "It's confined by chains."

Kotori nodded, breath loosening in slight relief at the sympathetic, understanding tone of the spirit. "Yes—I suggest we free the djinni. The restraints may be affecting its rationality and actions."

"However, Kotori," Honoka said patiently, "what if—the moment we unshackle the djinni—it continues to fly out and destroy us all? The chains may simply be restricting its power—the djinni might be even stronger without the shackles than it is so currently."

Kotori smiled softly. "Don't worry—I have faith. If I am mistaken, then I am at wrong and shall gladly take the blame."

Honoka nodded, straightening and obscuring any signs of hesitation on her face. "I believe in you, Kotori-chan," she said, grinning at the fairy. "Just be aware that this may have dire consequences."

Kotori nodded in acceptance, watching the swordswoman carefully.

Honoka lifted her sword yet again, the bright sun shining and hitting the blade in such a way that it flashed momentarily, and then swung down her weapon. It sliced through the chains on the djinni cleanly, and the fetters were bisected asunder, falling apart onto the brownish earth.

The djinni suddenly—with a great roar of red-hot fire—spun, and dashed toward Kotori. Honoka cried out, but then the demon abruptly stopped. Kotori looked upon it with interest as it bowed deeply in front of the fairy.

"Thank you for your intellectual observations and benevolent generosity," the djinni rumbled, "I am in your great debt."

Kotori's face turned bright red, and she shook her head. "It was nothing! All I did was notice a silvery shine, and then inferred from there."

"You saved my life," the demon said solemnly. "And for that, one day I will save yours. Simply say the word "djinni", and I will come to your aid—but only in a time of great necessity."

Nozomi's face whitened at the djinni's words. "Kotori's life… will need saving?"

The djinni raised its eyes to meet the spirit's, but did not say a word. Instead, it slowly rose up into the air, and vanished into a cloud of smoke, the foggy traces lingering in dreadful premonition.

* * *

The group headed back, and quickly relayed what had happened to the others.

"Wow," Alisa said worriedly, having turned into her elf form. "Kotori-chan, please stay safe!"

"I will, thank you," Kotori said. She was smiling, but her face looked strained.

"Let's not worry about Kotori's impending doom," said Eli. "We should heal up and get everyone energized. I imagine the magician did not feed his prisoners well."

"The food was yucky!" Cocoa complained, Cocoro and Cotarou nodding along with her. The three young devils were sitting with Nico, the family happily reunited.

"The experience was quite unpleasant," Yukiho added. She was also sitting with her elder sibling.

"I'm glad you're safe now," said Honoka. "I worry about Tsubasa and Umi-chan, though…"

"I'm sure they're safe," Nozomi said, but her eyes were shadowed in worry. "We really should rest, so that we can arrive at the tower as quickly as possible."

The group did so, settling into a relaxed ambience.

"Hey," Nico spoke up after a while. She was fiddling with her hands nervously. "Uh, is it okay if my siblings don't come with us? They don't know how to fight yet, so I think it's best if they stay somewhere safe until this all blows over."

"I'm unconfident in my fighting prowess as well," said Yukiho, nodding in empathy. "I haven't been thoroughly taught much swordsmanship yet, so I fear that I'll slow you guys down."

"I can bring the ones who will not fight to our cave," Alisa offered. She looked to her elder sister for approval. "It should be safe enough."

Eli nodded. "That's a great idea. Any opposition?" she asked, looking around. Nobody objected. "Alright. We can all rest and regain our energy tonight. Tomorrow, Alisa can fly Yukiho, Cocoro, Cocoa, and Cotaro to Dragon Hills. As soon as they leave, we ought to set out as well. We should be able to reach the tower by nightfall tomorrow."

Everybody nodded, and Alisa and Yukiho smiled at each other shyly in excitement.

"No fooling around, guys," Honoka said, staring at the two suspiciously. She raised her eyebrows.

"What are you talking abou—" Yukiho protested.

"At the very least, use protection," Eli added. She sighed, shaking her head. "Kids these days… doing things like that at such young ages."

"Hey!" Alisa exclaimed in horror.

"And if my siblings come crying to me about seeing things they shouldn't see until they're eighteen, you are _dead_ ," Nico said.

"Huh?" Cotaro asked, tilting his head slightly.

"We're not even eighteen yet, either!" Alisa and Yukiho complained in unison.

The elder siblings laughed. "We're kidding." The younger siblings sighed in relief. "But seriously—no funny business, okay? Cotaro is, like, five years old."

"Okay," Alisa and Yukiho grumbled. "We weren't going to do anything anyway!"

"Well, the sun is setting," Hanayo spoke up, giggling at the sibling banter. She was cuddling with Rin, the kitsune's tails wrapping gently around the two with a pleasant warmth. "We should hurry and find food, then get a good night's sleep."

"Yeah!" Rin piped up cheerfully. "Tomorrow is the big day."

"Yeah," Kotori said slowly. She hesitated, a distant look in her eyes. Then she echoed, "Tomorrow is the big day."


	11. Jailbreak Plotting, Again

Psykoakuma: Haha, well the djinn was being controlled by the magician, so it wasn't really the djinn's fault. He really had no choice in the matter. Shifting the blame onto the magician is much better, in our opinion. Kotori's 'impending doom' is going to come whether or not the others can stop it. And really, there's that point in life where you just have to say 'screw it, I'm gonna have fun for one night and worry about the future later.'

Sleygal: The Forces of Nature trio, huh? It could be because they look like genies in their incarnate forms, which is the species that a djinn would be a part of. Very interesting comparison!

Collab with kaffinee.

We don't own Love Live.

* * *

Jailbreak Plotting, Again

Umi groaned, her mermaid tail habitually waving in disturbingly warm water. She opened her eyes dimly, her head thrashing and pounding with a throbbing, maddening headache. Looking around, she noticed Tsubasa, Erena, and the newly captured fairy sitting together in front of the tank. Interestingly, the fairy was hugging her legs to her chest and snuggling next to Erena, and Tsubasa seemed a bit too close to the orange-haired girl for them to be complete strangers.

"H-hello…" the mermaid said slowly. She glanced at Tsubasa and Erena, wondering why they seemed so acquainted with the fairy already.

Tsubasa, presumably sensing her keenness, spoke up: "Hello, Umi-san. You have been unconscious for a few hours now." The elf indicated to the fairy beside her with a tilt of her head, and said, "This is Anju; the fairy that the magician previously seized. Anju, this is Umi."

"Pleased to meet you," the fairy's sweet voice rang out. She smiled nervously at the blue-haired girl.

Umi dipped her head. "And you as well. If I may ask, why do you three look so familiar with each other?"

"Oh, right," said Erena, who was sporting a large purple bruise on the side of her head. She gently rested her weary body on Anju and sighed. "It just so happens that the magician captured my girlfriend." She chuckled grimly. "I don't know whether to be relieved that we're together again, or terrified for her life."

The mermaid's jaw dropped at the spirit's words. "Oh—oh, well, alright. I wasn't expecting that." Then she looked at the elf. "Well, what about you, Tsubasa? You and Anju seem close as well."

Tsubasa smiled. "Anju is a childhood friend of mine. Erena and I didn't recognize her at first because her hair was covering her face."

Umi nodded in understanding. The fairy's orange locks traveled to just above her breasts; long enough to conceal her unconscious face at the time of the attempted escape. A crown of white acacia blossoms, calla lilies, and snowy white lilacs adorned the top of her head, much like that pure white sakura ring on her slender fingers. Anju wore clothing similar to Kotori, Umi noted, with a colorful bandeau that trailed into a layered thigh-reaching skirt—though the cloth were in shades of yellow and white, instead of the colorful assortment that embellished the gray-haired fairy's body. In addition to her elegant outfit, baby blue butterfly wings were sprung from her back, but the fairy didn't bother to utilize them in the dim, enclosed dungeon.

"Anyway," Umi said, "about our escape… what is the magician doing now? Are the others safe?"

"I would like to say the others are safe," Tsubasa responded, "but we cannot be sure. When the golem knocked you out, Umi-san, I was faintly conscious—not enough to actively move my body, but enough to notice my surroundings. I saw the magician leave the room in frustration, complaining about how he had to kidnap the creatures all over again."

"I can imagine that happening," Umi muttered. "Do you think it's possible for us to endeavor an escape again?"

The elf's brow furrowed, her head tipped to the side in thought. "I haven't thought of that… hmm, a _second_ getaway—that would be interesting… Hold on." She stood up and nimbly walked to the walls, tracing the engravings on the stone with her slim pointer finger. "Oh…" She frowned, staring up at the etchings, her eyes widening slightly.

"What happened?" Umi inquired.

"My runes are ruined." The brunette's frown deepened. There were slashes cutting deeply into the runes, effectively enabling them ineffective.

"Are you able to create new ones, Tsubasa?" Anju asked, biting her lip worriedly.

"I'll try that," Tsubasa said, and paused, considering. Then she picked up a sharp stone from the ground, placed it against the wall, and moved her hand to carve.

"Is it working?" the fairy whispered. Her round, amethyst eyes watched Tsubasa as the elf drew incomprehensible hieroglyphs onto the walls.

The elf stopped abruptly, stiffening as her body turned cold without the usual breeze of magical aura that she had expected, and sighed. "I can carve runes, but I cannot sense magic emanating from them like they should be; it's giving me the chills. The magician likely reinforced the magic barriers and made them even stronger so that runes crafted from hands other than his own will fail to function."

"That's… smart." Erena looked surprised.

Umi laughed. "I'm shocked at this sudden intellect as well." She poked her head out of the tank and looked around the room, observing her surroundings. Her eyes widened. "Wow, I didn't notice it before—this room is an absolute mess."

"Yes," Erena agreed, her gaze following the mermaid's. "I think it was the golem's doing when it rose up and burst through the floor to participate in the fight."

"That seems accurate." The floor was smashed and chunks of stone were lying in rubble around the room. Then something caught Umi's eye, and she blinked, curious. "Wait—what is that? It's glowing a bit, and…" Unable to find any words to describe the thing of her notice, she feebly pointed at the floor, where a piece of stone was missing. The mermaid desperately wanted to inspect it closely; however, due to her confinement in the tank, she was unable to do so. "Could one of you examine it for me?"

Tsubasa dropped to the floor smoothly, studying whatever laid yonder the hole in the floor. Then she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "… It's a magic circle."

" _What?_ " Umi exclaimed incredulously. "Another one? How did the magician not notice such a thing was revealed from the ruined floor? Who knows what we could do with our knowledge of this magic circle?"

"I guess he left the room in so much of a rush in his aggravation that he consequently did not manage to catch sight of the revealed loop," Erena mused.

"A fatal mistake," whispered Anju. She smiled cheerfully.

"What does the magical circle do?" Umi questioned, staring at the radiant ring.

Tsubasa scrutinized the glowing disk. Her emerald eyes widened. "Oh!" she gasped in astonishment.

"What is it?" Anju asked.

"I—I recognize the details of the circle." The elf's eyebrows drew together, her face scrunching up in confusion. "My family—because they are an honorable people—had been guarding it. It holds an ancient spell—a _forbidden_ spell—that my parents, and their parents, and the generation before, had been keeping in custody for protectoral purposes." She paused, hesitating. "… Until it was stolen a few years ago."

Anju's body stilled. "Why… why is it forbidden? What happens if the spell is activated?"

"…. It allows the manipulator limitless power—able to be unleashed upon anyone, anytime, anywhere." Tsubasa's voice wavered. "To activate it, however, the caster must sacrifice one member of each major species in the world and beyond: human, dragon, kitsune, elf, spirit, fairy, mermaid, angel, and devil."

Umi breathed sharply. "So that's why… that's why the magician attempts to capture all those creatures. He plans to…" The mermaid felt like her brain malfunctioned as she comprehended her own analyzations of the details. "He plans to trigger the enchantment—and rule all Creation."

Erena paled at the words. "Is there any way to counter the spell if it is ever initiated?"

"You cannot do anything if the power is already given to the magician," Tsubasa said. "However, it is possible to destroy the spell, but the process is a bit complex. All of the to-be-sacrificed creatures must work together and unleash their specific potent attacks simultaneously on the circle. This will effectively terminate any magic that the circle may release.

"Even so, the magical circle is furthermore protected by a magical _barrier_ , so it's even harder to destroy. The creatures would have to use their most powerful attacks in order to successfully abolish the magic circle."

"Wow," Anju said, astonished. "That might be difficult."

Erena frowned. "But… that indicates that we are to be some of the creatures that must participate in destroying the circle. Are you okay with the termination of the spell your family had been protecting for centuries, Tsubasa?"

The elf nodded gravely in acceptance. "We cannot allow the magician to use it for his dark ambitions."

"I don't want to swim around and merely wait for the magician to sacrifice us, though," Umi spoke up. "Is there anything useful we can do for the time being?"

Tsubasa tilted her head to the side, pondering. "Well…" she said slowly after a while, "Even though we cannot carve runes, and even though we cannot ruin the magic circle itself right now, we can still plan and plot and put our magics to good use—the magician didn't think to force anti-magic restraints on us…"

"What are you thinking?" asked Umi.

"Few structures are wholly created out of stone," Tsubasa simply said. "To be specific, roof beams are habitually made of wood. The walls are prevented from crumpling outward because the roof beams are in tension."

Erena frowned. "So?" the plum-haired girl said in confusion.

"Scorch the beams, and the walls will fall," Tsubasa continued. "The passion from the embers will make that even worse. It may not demolish the stones, but it will deteriorate mortar—and the minute a few stones shift, it will put uneven stress on the rest of the wall, which can collapse."

Anju stared at the elf. "… Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Yes." Tsubasa's lips curved into a cunning and vindictive smile. "We're going to burn this goddamn tower down."


End file.
